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I rub my palm over my face as if I could erase the unease and pain pressing down on me. My other hand remains steady on the wheel as I drive towards home.

“I’m just... coping,” I murmur.

“Coping, huh? Is that’s your way of saying you’re barely hanging on by a thread?”

I let out a wry laugh despite myself.

“And you? Still bossing around criminals in Austria?”

“Someone’s got to keep the world in check,” Ayaan quips. “But we’re not talking about me. So, coming back to you… courthouse wedding in New York, huh? Mr. Always-Plan-Ahead making spontaneous decisions?”

“Yes,” I say, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “I can’t wait to give Veer my name. Luckily, I had contacts here to expedite things.”

“Congratulations! But fair warning—you’re not escaping the full Indian wedding circus once you’re back. Your sister’s already in full planning mode.”

“I’ve already told Dad to keep it simple—”

Ayaan’s laugh echoes through the car. “Simple? With Meher in charge? Good luck with that! She’s been waiting to plan your wedding. When it comes to you and Raghav, she’s like a matchmaker-slash-wedding-planner on a mission, determined to give you both a dream wedding. Trust me, she’ll turn it into the wedding of the decade. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

His words pull a reluctant smile from me. “She would, wouldn’t she?”

“Absolutely. And I’ll enjoy watching you squirm through it all.”

“Focus on your criminals, brother-in-law,” I shoot back, a smile tugging on my lips despite myself.

Even though I haven’t fully acknowledged my feelings for Simran, let alone talked about them with Meher, I know my sister’s been aware of it all along, silently rooting for us. Also, in the last one and a half year, her bond with Ayaan’s twin brother, Raghav, has grown stronger. She’s taken her role as Raghav’s sister-in-law a tad too seriously, always teasing us both and insisting we need a woman in our lives to add some spark and excitement to our otherwise boring existence.

“So...” Ayaan’s voice turns teasing, “How’s fatherhood treating you? I saw Veer’s pictures. He’s adorable and looks just like you. But thank God he smiles more than you do. Maybe he’ll take after his Meher Bua (Aunt).”

“Stop praising your wife so much. She is not even here to listen to you,” I tease back.

“The Queen resides in the King’s heart,” Ayaan replies smoothly. “And who better than you to know how she’s ruling my heart all the time?”

We both laugh at that before Ayaan continues.

“You still didn’t tell me. How’s it? The feeling of being a father?” he probes.

The question touches something deep within me.

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” I admit. “I can’t express, but it is such a beautiful feeling, knowing that he’s a part of me. I’m enjoying every moment of getting to know him, though there’s still so much to learn about being a father. But right now, my focus is on the threats surrounding Simran.”

“Oh, yes...” Ayaan’s voice instantly turns serious. “Tell me, what do you need?”

I fill him in on everything—the mysterious masked man, Simran’s stalker, and our frustrating lack of progress.

“We traced a vehicle number, but the owner’s been dead for six months. When we checked his house, we found Simran’s photos there.”

“Someone else is definitely using that dead man’s identity to keep his own identity hidden,” Ayaan observes.

“This mask...” I continue, the image of the mask burning in my mind, “It’s this creepy white joker mask that the guy wears... I think there’s something behind that mask, something more specific. It’s not a normal mask. If you and your team can find out anything about it, that would really help.”

“Sure, don’t worry,” Ayaan assures me. “My team will make this a priority. I myself will look at it as Simran is now family. And if you need any other help, let me know.”

“I need one more favour actually, not a help though,” I say.

The line goes quiet as Ayaan waits.

“Come back to India soon, because I know my sister is missing you a lot.”